Houston Dynamo re-sign defender DaMarcus Beasley

The Houston Dynamo have re-signed defender DaMarcus Beasley, the club announced today.

Beasley has played in 86 MLS regular-season games, starting in 84, since joining the Dynamo on July 23, 2014. Last season, he played in 24 games with 22 starts and recorded one assist during the regular-season. Beasley led the Dynamo to their first postseason appearance in four years where he started and played in four of Houston’s five games. A leader off the field as well as on it, the defender served as vice-captain last season, wearing the armband in seven regular-season games and three playoff contests.

“We are extremely pleased to have DaMarcus return to the Houston Dynamo,” Dynamo Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan said. “He is a true professional both on and off the field and an important leader in our group. It was important to bring him back as we look to build on the strong foundation we’ve built in preparation for the 2018 season.”

The Fort Wayne, Indiana native was named to the 2017 MLS All-Star Fan XI, earning his fifth overall trip to the All-Star game (2001-03, 2015, 2017) and representing the Dynamo for a second time in the event. The veteran defender earned the MLS Individual Fair Play Award after playing 1,985 minutes while only committing 13 fouls. The defender was not shown a card all season and drew 35 fouls while playing an integral role in Houston’s fast-paced counterattacking system.

“I am excited about having DaMarcus back because he is a true leader and a role model. He demonstrates his professionalism in the way he takes care of himself, and the way he behaves on and off the field is important,” said Dynamo Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera. “In the locker room, he is a point of reference for all his teammates. As a player, he still delivers quality and a proficient level of soccer, ideas, talent and we need that this season.”

Beasley, 35, is one of the most decorated players in American soccer history and is the only man to represent the United States at the FIFA World Cup four times. His 11 appearances at the World Cup are tied for second-most in U.S. history.

He has been capped 126 times for the U.S. Men’s National Team with 17 goals, and has displayed remarkable longevity at the international level, having represented his country in at least one match in 16 of the last 17 years. His 126 caps are the seventh-most in U.S. Soccer history; he ranks 10th in assists, with 13, and is tied for ninth all-time in goals scored.

Naturally left-footed, Beasley began his career as a winger whose lightning pace and seemingly endless energy allowed him stretch opposing defenses on the flank while still providing defensive cover for his own team. As his career progressed, he made the transition to left back, where he has been among the best at his position in Major League Soccer since rejoining the league with the Dynamo in 2014.

Beasley began his career in MLS with the Chicago Fire, but has played all over the world. He moved to Europe in 2004 with PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie and became the first American to play in the semifinal stages of the UEFA Champions League. He also helped PSV earn back-to-back Eredivisie titles, in 2004-05 and 2005-06. He moved to the English Premier League with Manchester City on a loan from PSV during the 2006-07 season.

In 2007, Beasley signed with Rangers in the Scottish Premier League, becoming just the second American to play for the Glasgow giants’ first team. In three seasons with the club, he helped lead them to two SPL championships, along with the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.

Following a year in the German Bundesliga with Hannover 96, Beasley returned to North America, signing with Puebla in the Mexican Primera Division. Over three seasons with the club, he made 92 appearances and scored 12 goals before returning to MLS with Houston in 2014.

With the addition of Beasley, the Dynamo now have 23 players under contract for the 2018 season.